


customary practices

by Cinnamonbookworm



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: 4th of July, Cisco likes pulling one over on nyssa, Eagle Ceremony, Friendship, Gen, nyssa does not understand american customs, unlikely friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-07 22:44:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4280733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamonbookworm/pseuds/Cinnamonbookworm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>nyssa and cisco bonding over the eagle ceremony. lots of nyssara and a dash of blackvibe cuz why not. also, imagine this takes place post season 2 of the flash because sara is alive.<br/>somewhere along the line i fell in love with the idea of nyssa and cisco as friends (partially because of an interview with katrina law in which she said she'd like to see them interact)</p>
            </blockquote>





	customary practices

**Author's Note:**

> in case you were wondering, the eagle ceremony is a hoax some american tumblr users like to pull over non-american tumblr users around the fourth of july every year.

“You Americans are so funny about your fried food. Why would unhealthy food become a custom in this country?” Nyssa’s eyebrows are knit in that way they always get when Laurel’s introducing her to something new, creating a small crease in her forehead and turning her crimson smile into a frown.

“I don’t know.” Laurel hums happily, moving to bring the hot dogs out of the cloth bag beside her in preparation for the party about to occur in Thea’s loft. “I guess I’ve just always had hot dogs on the fourth of July. You can’t tell me Sara didn’t tell you about them.” She says, shooting a pointed glance towards her sister.

Sara quickly wraps her arms around her girlfriend from behind, a gesture that soothes the wrinkles in Nyssa’s forehead. “Laurel’s right. Dad’s hot dogs and hamburgers were always my favorite part of the holiday. And fireworks.” She turns her head to look down at Nyssa. “Did I mention fireworks?”

“Many times.” Nyssa assures, intertwining one of Sara’s hands in her own. “Too often, if I’m recalling correctly. Now  _that_  is a custom I understand.”

“We talking about American customs?” A voice calls out as Cisco walks through the doors of the loft, cooler in-hand. He takes in the scene for a moment before letting out the slightest of smirks. “I have a really great one I can tell you about.”

Laurel’s eyebrows raise, with that knowing look that Cisco’s about to try and pull one over on Nyssa, but he ignores her.

“Let me recount the story of my Eagle Ceremony.”

Sara smiles a bit before groaning and playing along. “Not again Cisco, you tell this story every 4th of July.”

“Well, it _is_  legendary.”

Nyssa’s ears perk up a bit at the word legendary, but she keeps a hesitant expression, not quite sure as to whether or not Cisco is telling the truth. “You keep using that word. I am not quite sure whether or not you understand the meaning of it.”

Cisco just shoots her a smile. “Well, as you all know, when an American-born citizen turns nine years old, it is customary for them to receive their first bald eagle. My brother had already gotten his, and, of course it was ‘the most beautiful thing my mother had ever seen,’ so I had some pretty big shoes to fill. We didn’t have a  _giant_ American flag, just a regular sized one, because Dante’s eagle, Big Mac, had trashed it up pretty bad and…”

“Hold on,” Nyssa stops the story, waving her hand. “Your brother named his prized pet after a  _hamburger_? This country continues to puzzle me.”

Cisco’s grin grows a little wider. “You just wait. It gets even wilder. So, anyway, I was supposed to recite the pledge of allegiance to summon my eagle as I waved the flag around, but I totally blanked on it, so instead I started singing that song from Schoolhouse Rock about the preamble of the constitution and no one was sure it was going to work, especially since my singing wasn’t nearly as good as Dante’s, but then this  _giant eagle_ comes out of the sky and is heading straight for me, except then it swerves, knocking over three of my cousins with it’s giant wingspan, and they were totally unprepared, because none of them were born in the U.S. and they had all missed Dante’s ceremony, so they weren’t sure how to deal with this massive creature. She had nearly plucked out the eye of my second cousin, Roberto, before my uncles got her off of him. But it all turned out okay in the end because I wrapped her in my american flag and we became the best of friends. To this day, Anti-Gun-Control still lives in my house, and likes to eat the stray cats that wander in.”

At this point, Laurel and Sara are almost on the ground laughing, clutching each other like lifelines, but Nyssa remains unfazed.

All eyes are on her, but she just clicks her tongue in disapproval and moves back to unpacking the hot dogs. “Tsk. Typical Americans.”

Suddenly everybody stops. “Wait, you know he’s joking, right?” Laurel asks.

Nyssa shrugs. “It crossed my mind, but I’ve heard of situations more absurd. Also, you Americans are very strange about your ‘freedom.’”

Cisco’s eyes get big with curiosity. “What situations?”

“Well, when I was nine, I had to wrestle a bald eagle with my bare hands.”

“Okay, now  _you’re_  the one joking.”

“Guilty as charged.” She quips, raising her wrists in mock-defeat. “However, my father did stick me in a room with a tiger for a few days when I reached the age that I could defend myself.”

“No way! I want all the details! Did you kill the tiger? Was he the Richard Parker to your Pi?” Cisco’s questions continue on, and, to the surprise of most of the party guests, Nyssa does not seem bothered by the stream of curiosities, only smiling animatedly as she recalls stories none of them have ever heard before.

“They make an odd pairing, don’t they?” Sara asks of her sister later as the party draws to a close and they stare at Cisco and Nyssa, still abuzz with conversation hours later.

She doesn’t miss the softness in Laurel’s eyes as she stares at the scene before them. “Yeah, they do, but it’s kind of nice to see them like this.”

Sara nudges her with her shoulder but doesn’t respond, barely noticing the wink Nyssa sends her way as she dives into yet another story about growing up in the League of Assassins. 


End file.
